as an input. >> it does seem these days many people choose who they're going to go to and stick to them. maybe the best advice would be to choose a lot of different sites. maybe somebody coming at it from the left, somebody from the right, and somebody who is coming at it more from the middle like patricia murphy. we'll continue in just a moment. okay? >> okay. >> here's wolf blitzer in the "situation room." michelle obama's health care risk. she's adding her voice to the push for health care reform. will she have more success than hillary clinton did as first lady? anti-government anger returning to the streets of iran today. tens of thousands marching in dualing demonstrations and stones, bricks and tear gas starts flying. and an astronaut takes a rare public stand on a controversial political issue. he says he's doing it to help other children of immigrants reach for the stars. i'm wolf blitzer in cnn's

command center for breaking news, politics, and extraordinary reports from around the world. you're in the "situation room." michelle obama isn't exactly following in hillary clinton's footsteps, but the first lady is playing a new role today in promoting her husband's push for health care reform. as we all know the tag team approach didn't work out all that well for the clintons. mrs. obama is keeping her involvement limited, but she is dramatically stepping it up today. let's go to our white house correspondent dan lothian. he's got the details. >> reporter: robert gibbs here at the white house saying there's no real new strategy here, but a senior administration official telling me that the first lady does plan to really step up her involvement in the push for health care reform. and we saw the beginning of that today. she was at an event sponsored by the white house council on women and girls. and the first lady was pointing out how women often bear the burden for making a lot of the

health care decisions in the household, for their children, often for their spouses. but they are the ones who are often left out of what's covered for some of the critical tests that are needed. she was really trying to frame it as an issue of equality for the need of reform. >> for two years on the campaign trail, this was what i heard from women. that they were being crushed, crushed by the current structure of our health care. crushed. but these stories that we've heard today and all of us -- if we're not experiencing it, we know someone who is. these are the stories that remind us about what's at stake in this debate. this is really all that matters. this is why we are fighting so hard for health insurance reform. this is it. this is the face of the fight.

>> now, the first lady remains very popular figure in the most recent cnn polling that came out last month. her favorable ratings were at 67%, unfavorable 22%. and so the white house saying that to the extent that she really can help out in getting the message of health care reform across, then they're very happy to have her, wolf. >> and we're going to be hearing extensively later from her on this hour, dan. let's bring in gloria borger. can she really make a difference? how valuable is she? >> yes, she can. as dan was saying, she's very popular. but her popularity is even higher with women. she's got a 75% approval rating with women. and politics you always like to focus your message. and they're going to use michelle obama as somebody who can talk to women. today she was talking about health care as very much a woman's issue. and don't forget, she was also a hospital administrator. she's going to talk about her own personal experiences. in particular with women a

discrimination against women. she's also going to make the case that women take care of their elderly parents and in charge of health care at home. >> she can help the president a lot. the former first lady, hillary clinton now the secretary of state, she says she's confident that this president will succeed even as her husband failed in the early 1990s. she was asked today about health care reform. here's what the secretary of state said. >> we just have to calm down here, take two aspirin, go to bed, think about it in the morning. but i'm very optimistic. i think that, you know, it won't be pretty. it's like sausage making. but we will end up with a bill for the president to sign that will be an advance. and that's what i think is in the best interest of the country. and, of course, it will have political benefits for the president, but i think that what's most important is getting this done. >> i think it's fair to say that

the obama team learned a lot from what not to do, necessarily, in terms of how the clintons handled health care. >> i have to say that sounds like somebody who is certainly glad she's not going through health care reform again. she seemed a little light-hearted about it almost. yeah, she had a real problem. and the folks who work in the obama white house, many of whom work for the clintons said we're not going to do what hillary clinton did, which is we're not going to write a bill and send it up to congress so it becomes a big target for congress to aim at. they went the other way and let congress write the bill and it remains to be seen whether they went overboard in the other direction giving congress too much authority because here they sit waiting for something to still come from capitol hill. the president had to jump in last week. and he kind of let the health care debate get away from him. now he's trying to rest control of it from capitol hill. >> thanks very much. a famously vocal critic of president obama speaking out in less than an hour. that would be republican

congressman joe wilson who shouted "you lie" during the president's recent health care address. wilson is set to hold a news conference in his home state of south carolina, our congress nol correspondent brianna keilar from west columbia. you're in the room where this news conference is going to happen. local press, national press, what's going on? >> reporter: there's a couple national media outlets here. we're waiting for the local media to show up. we're expecting that joe wilson will take his -- it's time to move past it, time to get on with the work that he has been put in washington to do. and this is a news conference. it's not a town hall. he's expected to be taking questions from the media, not from his constituents. but really we don't know what to expect from the crowd. the announcement of this meeting has gone out on local radio, local tv, so people around here certainly know. and this is very much a republican area about a stone's

throw from springdale, the hometown of congressman wilson. we've spoken with a few people in the area. while a lot of them say it was not the proper venue to shout out at president obama, a lot of them told us they share their sentiment. >> embarrassed and proud of him. one more thing that makes it seem backwards, even though i think it's misguided. >> think before you speak, joe. that's good for anybody. maybe think before you speak next time. >> i don't think it was the right venue for it. we're becoming socialists in sort of a way. we're borrowing money from other people, doing these programs. they're really taking away a lot of the choices from individual people. and putting it in the hands of our government. >> so, wolf, this is generally an area that supports congressman wilson or joe as everyone seemed to call him that

we spoke to. but just in case, there are some people who come here to give him a piece of their mind. i want to show you what's been set up. all of this is standing room area. this is where if constituents come they can stand. it's not chairs. and there's just one row of chairs here, about 25 or so chairs. and we've been told by hospital officials since this isn't a hospital that they've set this up, essentially as a bit of a barrier to discourage people from getting too close to the congressman, wolf. >> thanks very much. you'll monitor that news conference for us. we've repeatedly invited congressman wilson to join us here in the "situation room." if he feels like it joining us for a few moments, we'd love to interview him, as well. thanks very much for that. opponents of iran's government show the world they haven't gone away. they return to the streets today and defended their leader when hard liners rushed to his car. we're going to find out what's happening in iran right now. our christiane amanpour is standing by.

and former cia directors banding together against the obama administration. what's going on? and we'll also get to know one of the president's top economic advisers. he tells us he's just a part of the obama pit crew. >> i'm kind of like the guy with the tire tool and the nascar thing. they drive the laps, i come out, you know, get the tires on there and get them back out on the road. obama's dale jr. in that story. he's the guy driving, i'm like the tool guy.

now your card comes with a way to plan for what matters to you. introducing blueprint. blueprint is free and only for chase customers. it lets you choose what purchases you want to pay in full to avoid interest...with full pay. and those you split... you decide how to pay over time. if having a plan matters. chase what matters. create your own blueprint at chase.com/blueprint.

[ telephone rings ] [ ring ] [ "catch the wind" plays ] what is the sign of a good decision? in the world of personal finance, it's massmutual. find strength and stability in a company that's owned by its policyholders. ask your advisor or visit massmutual.com.

crowds taking to the streets once again in iran. this protest in tehran, an annual pro palestinian rally. among them, thousands of green clad supporters of the opposition movement. that according to cnn sources in tehran. this year they've been especially -- they're especially tense these demonstrations after unrest over iran's disputed presidential election back in june. witnesses tell cnn some protestors shouted pro iranian government slogans while others yelled against the regime. witnesses tell us some protestors chanted death to the dictator. let's bring in our chief international correspondent christiane amanpour who knows this story very, very well. what does it mean that weeks after the election there are still these huge crowds gathering and they're shouting death to the dictator in reference to ahmadinejad, the

president. >> reporter: what it means, this is the first time they've come out mass in two months. they were waiting to see if they had the protest spirit in them and clearly they do. there was pro-government organized demonstrations on this jerusalem day as they call it. there were also these thousands of opposition coming out including leaders of the oppositions. first time they've been seen out in the streets for a long time. and despite warnings from ayatoll ayatoll ayatollah. >> describe to our viewers the significance, christiane of that. >> well, significant because there have been mounting concerns over the last week that the government may be paving the way to arrest some of the opposition leaders, notably mr. mousavi and the cleric, nobody knows whether the government would touch a former president,

but there have been concerns as you can see there in that illuminated picture there, that is mousavi and you can see actually a guard in front sort of trying to hold control there. so some kind of protection going on there. and also there was a picture of the former president, reformist with some around him clutching his turban. anyway, this went on despite what happened, which is so many people have been killed during the protest, so many arrested, so many now with allegations of torture. including at this point a journalist, fellow journalist who is still in prison in iran and for whom the journalist community are insisting that he actually be charged or be released. >> and three americans who inadvertently crossed into iran, they're being held, as well. >> interestingly, ann curry of

nbc who interviewed president ahmadinejad asked specifically about that. and he said, well, they entered illegally, they have to be punished, but then he went on to say that he would work as hard as he can to get them freed, but only if the u.s. frees iranians in u.s. custody and it's unclear what he actually means by that. but nonetheless, these -- the fate of these hikers are now on the top of the agenda. a lot of publicity about them, and ann curry did put that question and he did say he would see what he could do about it. but unlikely or uncertain whether that's going to be resolved any time soon. >> he seemed to strongly suggest, christiane he would release those americans if the u.s. or iraqis released five iranians, what he called diplomats being held in iraq. i thought they were released already. which seemed to suggest to me that either he was confused, didn't know what he was talking about or there's something else going on that we don't know in terms of other iranian diplomats maybe are held. >> welm, precisely.

those five diplomats were a source of huge contention for the iranians for the last two years. and he did talk about it in the past. they were held for two years. so he's obviously aware that they'd been released. maybe there are others that he thinks are in custody or others that we need to find out. but clearly, there have been a lot about these three who have crossed over into iran. you know, i've talked to sources who say they have had cameras or other such things. they were not in any nefarious undertakings, but here's the thing, the iranians are obsessed with this notion of a velvet revolution. you can talk to anybody and the regime is obsessed paranoid about this notion that the united states has decided there's no way it's going to regime change by military means but that the united states is still bent on regime change by soft means. so this is what they are using as their excuse now for rounding

out so so many people who are in jail at the moment. >> christiane amanpour, thanks very much for that. we're going to stay on top of this story. and to our viewers, i want you to know, of course all of you, though, christiane's decades of experience, now she takes her experience and her intelligence to a whole new show right here on cnn. "amanpour," she'll interview cultural icons, influential people on the global stage. you can watch "amanpour" sunday, september 27th, that's the debut at 2:00 p.m. eastern only here on cnn. and another story we've been following. this one over a year. the assassination of the former pakistani president, prime minister that is, benazir bhutto, she was running to relieve pakistan once again at the time of her death. and she wrote a letter to me before she was killed. she asked me not to read it until or unless she was killed.

the current pakistani president bhutto's widower says this in front of an audience at london's international institute of strategic studies. listen to what he said today. >> my wife i'd left behind a letter addressed to wolf blitzer of cnn so she from her grave shouted out that the policies to say the least did not give her enough security. we have in turn taken a political decision to take pakistan. the whole parliament, assembles, national assemble, and the senate of pakistan asking for the u.n. to come in and to be present in assisting us to investigate. so we're waiting for the process to finish. the family as you know -- the first information.

because we do not want to equate our loss with any individuals or individuals. we want the united nations and history to judge. and we want to change the reason to cause the system, especially to people, the mind set that did not let the first woman prime minister of pakistan, a, rule, b, survive. so that's what we're after. we intend to change the system. >> and upon her death, i did read that e-mail that benazir bhutto had sent me with all of her deepest fears. fresh details emerging right now. high profile kidnapping case. it concerns the man accused of abducting and keeping a young girl for 18 years. police are looking for any clues that suggest the suspect committed other crimes. and astronauts are not known for getting political. but one astronaut is right now. he's making very compelling

arguments for his cause. >> just waiting.

fredericka whitfield is monitoring other important stories coming into the situation room right now. >> hello to you, wolf. several cia former directors want president obama to stop the criminal investigation into the agency's interrogations of suspected terrorists. they ask him in a letter to reverse attorney general eric holder's decision, saying the probe would put intelligence officers in "continuous jeopardy." cia directors who served both democratic and republican presidents signed this letter. and california officials will use ground-penetrating radar to search the property of

kidnapping suspects phillip and nancy garrido. the couple is facing a combined 29 felony counts in the 18 year abduction of jaycee dugard. police are also looking for evidence in two other cases of missing children dating back to the 1980s. they say cadaver dogs have showed interest in the garridos' property. and martin luther king jr.'s three children are at risk of losing the family estate. a georgia judge says he's extremely troubled by the way they're managing things. a lengthy legal battle hit two of the king siblings against the third one. wolf? >> sad story whenever that kind of stuff happens within the family. all right, thanks very much. it's among the most personal and revealing stories you'll ever hear from the first lady michelle obama speaking about heart ache and heart break as she pitches health care reform. standby, you're going to want to hear the first lady in her own words. she tells some heart felt stories as she calls for women to act.

take a look at this, big sky and open road in montana. but is this opening leaving the u.s. vulnerable? wait until you see how your tax dollars are being spent on key boards. it doesn't cover everything. and what it doesn't cover can cost you some money. that's why you should consider... an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company. it can help cover some zd what medicare doesn't... so you could save up to thousands of dollars... in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this free information kit...

and medicare guide. if you're turning 65 or you're already on medicare, you should know about this card; it's the only one of its kind... that carries the aarp name -- see if it's right for you. you choose your doctor. choose your hospital. and no referrals needed. there are no networks help protect yourself from some of what medicare doesn't cover. save up to thousands of dollars... on potential out-of-pocket expenses... with an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company. call now for your free information kit... and medicare guide and find out... how you could start saving.

you're in the situation room happening now. fighting for his life, an ohio inmate tries to stop an unprecedented second excuse attempt. an emotionally charged case for all sides. secretary of state hillary clinton firing back at critics who charge president obama caved into russia by scrapping a bush era missile defense system in europe. and remote border crossing, at least one of them that gets fewer than two vehicles a day is now getting a multi-million dollar upgrade courtesy of the federal government and your tax dollars. what's going on? we investigate. i'm wolf blitzer, you're in the "situation room." it's an issue affecting every american family, now pushing for it has become a family affair. the first lady is joining her husband and pitching health care reform. michelle obama spoke to women over at the white house today. she says health care reform is

also a woman's issue because it's so often involves women making health care decisions for themselves and their families. the first lady even related some very personal stories. >> i will never forget the time eight years ago when sasha was four months that she would not stop crying. and she was not a crier. so we knew something was wrong. so we fortunately were able to take her to our pediatrician that next morning, he examined her and said something's wrong. we didn't know what, but he told us that she could have meningitis. so we were terrified. he said get to the emergency room right away. and fortunately for us, things worked out. because she is now the sasha that we all know and love today who is causing me great

excitement. but it is that moment in our lives that flashes through my head every time we engage in this health insurance conversation. it's that moment in my life. because i think about what on earth would we have done if we had not had insurance. what would've happened to that beautiful little girl if we hadn't been able to get to a pediatrician who was able to get us to an emergency room? the consequences i can't even imagine. she could've lost her hearing, she could've lost her life if we had had to wait because of insurance. and it was also fortunate that we happened to have good insurance, right? because if we hadn't had good insurance like many of the panelists up here, we would've been saddled with costs for covering that emergency room visit, for her two days in the hospital. we would've still been paying off those bills.

and this issue isn't something that i thought about as a mother. i think about it as a daughter. as many of you know, my father had multiple sclerosis, he contracted it in his 20s. and as you all know, my father was a rock. he was able to get up and go to work every day even though it got harder for him as he got sicker, more debilitated. and i find myself thinking, what would we have done as a family on the south side of chicago? if my father hadn't had insurance. if he hadn't been able to cover his treatments. what would it have done to him to think that his illness could've put his entire family into bankruptcy? and what if he has lost his job, which fortunately he never did. what if his company had changed insurance? which fortunately never happened. and we became one of the millions of americans, families,

who can't get insurance because of a preexisting condition. so these are the thoughts that run through my mind as i watch this debate. the status quo is unacceptable. it is holding women and families back. and we know it. fortunately, that is exactly what my husband's plan proposes to do. and it's important for us to understand some of the basic principles of that plan. under his plan, if you don't have insurance now or you lose your insurance at some point in the future, you'll be able to purchase affordable coverage through an insurance exchange. a marketplace with a variety of options that'll let you compare prices and benefits. this is exactly the approach that is used to provide members of congress with insurance. so the thought is that if it's

good enough for members of congress, it should be good enough for the people who vote them in. and this is also an important part of the plan. if you already have insurance and it seems there are a lot of people worried they'll lose what they have under this plan, but under this plan if you already have insurance, you're set. nothing changes. you keep your insurance, you keep your doctors. and you're blessed. this plan just puts in place some basic rules of the roads to protect you from the kinds of abuses and unfair practices that we've heard. under this plan, insurance companies will never again be allowed to deny people like debbie and her son coverage for pre-existing conditions. sounds like a good thing.

so whether you have breast cancer, diabetes, asthma, or hypertension or even just had a c-section or some mental health treatment that you had in your past. none of that will be a reason to refuse you coverage under the plan that my husband is proposing. because when you're fighting an illness, he believes that you shouldn't also have to be in the process of fighting the insurance companies at the same time. the basic idea. under this plan, insurance companies will no longer be able to drop your coverage when you get too sick. or refuse to pay for the care that you need or to set a cap on the amount of coverage that you can get. and it will limit how much they can charge you for out of pocket expenses. because getting sick in this

country shouldn't mean that you go bankrupt. that's a basic principle of this plan. and finally, this plan will require insurance companies to cover basic preventive care. >> first lady getting very personal on the most substantive issues facing the president right now domestically. i suspect we're going to be hearing a lot more from her. in the darkest days of the recession, one of the president's top economic advisers says he was too busy to eat more than tick tacks for dinner. standby to learn more about his role on team obama. and it's unusual for an astronaut to take a public stand on a political issue. even more unusual for him to do it in space. and it's like twitter with a yiddish accent. could someone toss me an eleven sixteenths wrench over here?

here you go. eleven sixteenths... (announcer) from designing some of the world's cleanest and most fuel-efficient jet engines... to building more wind turbines than anyone in the country... the people of ge are working together... creating innovation today for america's tomorrow. thanks! no problem!

as the decades have past, the promise of medicare has always been there. and aarp has fought to guarantee none of the benefits you earned were ever taken away. today we're continuing that fight by protecting your freedom to choose the doctors and treatments you need. and to have your tax dollars go towards your care-- not insurance company subsidies. you've done your work. and we'll keep doing ours. learn more at aarp.org.

it's not often you hear the obama administration compared to a stock car racing team. but that's the way one of the president's most important economic adviser sees him. listen to austin liken his job to being a member of a nascar pit crew. >> i'm kind of like the guy with the tire tool in the nascar thing as they drive the laps, i come out, get the tires on there and get them back out on the road. but i mean, obama is dale jr. in that story. he's the guy driving, i'm just like the tool guy. >> let's bring in our national political correspondent jessica yellin. you had a chance to do some serious talking with austin. >> i did.

i don't think he'd want to be known as the tool guy. he's one of the president's longest serving advisers going back to his 2004 senate race. one of his top concerns, he says congress has to pass new rules to prevent another wall street meltdown. >> reporter: with stocks flying through the roof, wall street seems to be on a manic high while the rest of the nation is reaching for its antidepressants. that disconnect is not lost on austin. >> kind of go back to the mentality, hey, we made a lot of money from that, but let's go back to doing that again. >> goolsby is one of the president's top economic advisers. >> what have you done to get people hired today? >> reporter: he tells us what's needed for new rules on wall street and he's worried the urgency is slipping away. >> i do worry that if the focus doesn't remain on protecting consumers and protecting the system that kind of the

lobbyists just take back over and write the rules that are in their favor and kind of got us into this mess. >> reporter: he's not the most famous member of the white house economic team, but he served the president the longest. going back to their chicago days. he's known for his quick wit here during the campaign. >> obama has sort have been the steady hand in the storm and mccain has been the storm. >> reporter: we're talking about the scandal-plagued insurance giant aig. >> these guys should've gotten a nobel prize for evil. >> reporter: on late night tv, he explains the state of the economy. >> are we broke? >> no. >> we're not broke? >> no. >> reporter: he says new reforms have to include a consumer watchdog that could've presented the worst abuses. so how is the job so far? >> i didn't come for the fun. and i haven't been disappointed. >> reporter: now, he says the administration will keep the heat on congress to get that reform legislation done. as for the general state of the economy. while there has been some

positive economic news, he acknowledged it will really take time for the job picture to improve. >> quite a bit of time. >> yeah. >> thanks very much for that, jessica. let's get to an astronaut now who is boldly going where few have gone before. took a controversial stand from space urging the obama administration to pass immigration reform. it's a very personal issue for this mexican-american who has just returned from his first shuttle mission. selma gutierrez went to his hometown to talk to his family. >> reporter: wolf, the astronaut was born to immigrant parents. as a child, he worked right here in the fields of stockton, california. his parents told us, those experiences are the reason why he's taken such a vocal stance on immigration reform. >> jose hernandez, mission specialist number two is making his first space flight. >> reporter: liftoff of discovery. >> reporter: a trip to space

against astronomical odds for one astronaut. >> everything in the field, you know. >> reporter: salvador and hugh owe hernandez were migrant workers who took their children to work with them every weekend. >> i want them to learn how to learn money. >> it sounds like the lesson paid off. >> it sure did. because you see that. >> reporter: they say every night one child, just seven at the time would lay out on the grass and stare at the stars. he told them he would become an astronaut. though he was born in the u.s., the family followed the harvest, jose was gifted and proficient in the language of mathematics. he act excelled in physics and engineering. for 12 years in a row, he applied to nasa and was rejected. then, in 2004, he was finally accepted at the age of 41.

>> you think about when we were working in the field. you think about all the struggles, the hardships that we faced. >> reporter: on his first flight that just ended last week, jose gave an interview from space to the spanish-language tv network televista. he talked about his background, the mission, and how he hoped the obama administration would pass comprehensive immigration reform. his public comments on controversial issues caused nasa to take its own stance. in a statement released to the media, nasa said his opinions are his own and do not represent the space agency. but that he has every right to express his personal views. >> i'm really proud of this guy here right there. >> reporter: his parents say they're glad their son hasn't

forgotten his humble beginning and hopes he will inspire other children to seek their place in the universe. jose hernandez says he wants to make sure that other low-income students have a chance to achieve their dreams so he started a foundation called "reaching for the stars" to help raise scholarship money to pursue their studies in math and science. wolf? >> thanks very much for that. what a story. a senate democrat is raising a red flag about immigration and the party support among latino voters. james carville and alex cast lane know are standing by. we'll confront james with his alter ego. there he is, that's not james. just for laughs. >> what do you think of these protestors?

ring ring. progresso. your chicken tuscany says it has fiber in it. yep. four tasty new soups with 28% of your daily fiber. but i like this chicken tuscany. i like it too. but it has fiber in it. that's right. fiber? yeah. but i like it. (announcer) progresso. you gotta taste this soup. meet jack. recently turned 65. glad he's now got medicare on his side. but jack knows that medicare doesn't take care of everything. in fact, part b covers only... 80% of medical expenses. so, he got himself an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan -- insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. yep, when it comes to jack's health, it's all about team effort. ( team cheering ) a medicare supplement plan... allows you to keep your own doctor, helps you budget medical costs,

and it picks up some of that 20%, potentially saving you thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. smart choice. if yñt're turning 65, or are 65 already, call now for this free information kit... and medicare guide... and learn more about aarp medicare supplement insurance. you'll enjoy a wide range of coverage options... to help meet your personal needs. and competitive pricing to meet your budget. you'll receive service you can count on. and, plans travel with you nationwide. that's why no matter who you are, if you're on medicare, you should consider... an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. aarp has a long legacy of commitment to bringing... its members the choice and freedom they deserve. that's exactly what this card can help you achieve. so call now, see for yourself. if you want a plan that lets you choose... your own doctor or hospital, helps you budget your medical costs, and saves thousands of dollars out-of-pocket, do as jack and millions of others have done:

get an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. because when it comes to medicare, it's easy to see jack is on a roll. ♪ get your free information kit and medicare guide. aarp medicare supplement insurance plans. call now. ♪ the first lady of the united states goes out big time to help her husband pass health care reform. let's discuss this and more with our cnn political analyst and democratic strategist, james carville and the republican strategist. guys, thanks so much for coming in. i think she can really help the president. she made a very compelling speech today. >> yeah, look. they're in a fight. and when you're in a fight, you marshal all your resources.

and she was very good. >> there is a history of first ladies getting involved in health care reform. and you remember that quite well. didn't exactly work out perfectly. >> i was afraid you'd bring that up. yeah. but this is an entirely different thing. she's coming in for a couple of plays. and it's fine. and people -- the public looks at this in campaigns, we used to think the public expects your spouse to be for you, but it's nice to say a few nice words anyway. i don't think there's anything wrong with this at all. >> smart political move on the part of the democrats. michelle obama is the popular obama not the other one isn't. and the democrats have had a lot of success with the gender gap. driving female votes on the care-giving nourishing issues. here's the concern. women are at the center of paying the health care bills, managing health care in households. they are the ones who are most concerned about preserving the doctor-patient relationship. when their kids or parents are sick, they don't want anything interfering with the relationship with that doctor.

that's why women are key to the argument against big government-run health care. >> i think seniors right now are the most concerned about the president's plan because they're the ones obviously who get the sickest all the time. >> this is true. and i think you've seen the president going out tomorrow morning. i think people know this is, you know, this is really going to be an intense political fight, i'm glad to see that their movement on this. and i think when you're in something like this, if you got resources, you deploy them, you know. don't hold back. >> the debate was being polarized along racial lines. good move. >> senator robert menedez of new jersey says maybe it's not such a bad idea that illegal immigrants in the country could have access to buying insurance under the new plan. so many kids, for example, mixed families, kids may have been born in the united states, the parents are not here legally. what's wrong with senatorm

menedez' idea. >> if it's little for you to be here, illegal means illegal and you shouldn't benefit from t taxpayer system. even president obama distanced himself from that in his speech to the joint session. but this is washington theatrics. this is a senator who has a large hispanic population saying i'm going to fugt for you, but at the end of the day, the democrats are not going to go with this, they're going to throw this under the bus and both sides of the democrats will win on this. >> i've got a feeling this is not a political one in new jersey. and i don't think it is a political win. but he makes a case. if you have insurance -- right now if you're illegal, you show up at the emergency room, they pay. they don't deny you care. which obviously we don't that in the united states. i think as a policy argument is an arguable position. >> hold your fire right now. because i didn't know this until i watched saturday night live

this week their special program. and it was clear to james carville has a twin brother. watch this. >> thank you, seth myers. >> so james, what do you think of these protestors? >> you see these people out there grown men dressed up like goblins and hitlers, these people are first class crazy and i should know, seth, because i'm as crazy as they come. now look at me. i see this in the mirror every morning and i think, yep, that's good looking. come on, i look like a skeletor. >> surely they're not all crazy. what do you make of the argument there are moderate conservatives. >> no, seth, there ain't no moderates in the tea party. they're only moderate because they're surrounded by the super crazies. it's like when a midget stands

next to a smart car. you ain't tall, midget, you just clever. >> why do little people stand next to smart cars? >> come down to louisiana and you'll get an eye full of clever little people. >> so how do you think the white house should respond to these demonstrators? >> ignore them. when a crazy drifter comes up to you on the street and says, hey, snake face, you the devil. you don't stop -- >> all right. you the devil. did you ever see that guy before? >> i never saw him before. jeb bush -- says that boy looks like he's like a swish that swam too close to a nuclear reactor. people have been making fun of the way i look for a long time.

but my kids will be very happy. >> i'm going to show you. he was wearing the same outfit. same shirt, same jacket, similar tie. let's take a look and compare outfits. the reel, that's not the real one. there's the fake one. >> how do we know? >> there's the real one right there. they look like -- >> wolf, i'd like to see some i.d. here. i've been debating the saturday night live writers for years. it's a problem. >> there is a problem. >> who's home, james? >> he was good. >> he was. >> he was really good. >> he was good. my daughter emma got me to wear blue ties and blue shirts. >> alex, you know you will have made it when they start doing you on "saturday night live." guys, thanks very much. there's a new takeoff of twitter that may give you a laugh, and give you a hankering for chicken soup. standby. and a former beauty queen talks about the day she became a controversial figure and a conservative role model. and on the return of anti-government protests in iran is a hard line government now

feeling threatened? i think i'll go with the preferred package. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the service that's right... for you, your car, and your budget. at meineke, you're always the driver. now your card comes with a way to plan for what matters to you. introducing blueprint. blueprint is free and only for chase customers. it lets you choose what purchases you want to pay in full to avoid interest...with full pay. and those you split... you decide how to pay over time. if having a plan matters. chase what matters. create your own blueprint at chase.com/blueprint.

on our political ticker. former miss california joins with conservatives reaching out to those conservatives. prejean took part of an event here in washington earlier today. she spoke about the incident that turned her into a political figure when she was asked whether same sex marriage should be legalized. >> so there i was, about to

answer this question. and the moment the judge asked it, i tried to stand there and look pretty. but in my head i could not believe that they were asking that question at miss usa. i could not believe it. i thought it was -- i thought that it was extremely inappropriate for that venue. any other venue, it would have been all right. i would have had no questions asked. but at that venue, extremely inappropriate. we see all of the time, what do they want to hear, world peace? as soon as a woman doesn't give the world the answer, why is all of a sudden she's all over national news? it's the huge, huge controversy all because i said a marriage is between a man and a woman? are you serious? it doesn't make any sense to me,

a 22-year-old college student. as i began to answer the question, in my head i was thinking, god, why is this question being asked? but you know what? i'm going to deal with this question. i'm going to answer it to the best of my ability, stay true to who i am, what i believe, and the way that i was raised. and that's it. >> remember for the latest political news any time, check out cnnpolitics.com. now that i'm on twitter, along comes twitlila. geared toward jewish mothers and their kids. >> wolf, actually calling your jewish mother may take hours. with this, you can update her in an instant.

>> twitter for your jewish mother. every time you want to update your jewish mother go to twittleh.com, where are you? have you eaten? are you wearing a sweater? >> there's no twitleh.com, this is a parody video made by two old college buddies who were joking about their jewish mothers checking in and decided to make a video about it. with one of their mothers, this is emily here, mother of reg, who as you can see was a very good sport about it. this is now a trending topic on the real twitter, wolf. >> thanks very much to our viewers. you're in the situation room. now rage boils over in the streets of tehran. thousands of people are risking arrest, beatings, even death to protest ahmadinejad in his reelection. he's heading here to the united states next week. and one hotel is now refusing his business.

also, they're two of the most remote and seldom used border crossings in the united states. why does the federal government want to spend more than $30 million? on these two posts, and a botched execution. the condemned man pricked with a needle 18 times. they try for two hours to deliver a deadly cocktail of drugs to no avail. controversy raging as they plan to try once again. i'm wolf blitzer, you're in the "situation room." chants of death to the dictator, thousands of opposition protestors took to the streets of tehran for the first time in months facing off against supporters of the hard line president ahmadinejad. he's lashing out at the united states and israel. iran has kicked out most international news media, but

cnn's reza sayah is following by nearby islamabad. reza? >> wolf, a dramatically and charged day in tehran on friday as the opposition movement shows it hasn't lost much steam. iran's hard liners had warned them to stay away, but tens of thousands of defiant opposition supporters hit the streets of tehran. in their first mass demonstration in nearly two months. what followed was a tense faceoff. opposition supporters still protesting the june 12th elections on one side, pro government crowds on the other, paying the price for showing up, former president, a reformist website reports the opposition figure lost his turban when he was roughed up. the green clad opposition supporters made their comeback on a day that's supposed to be a show of solidarity for the palestinian cause. inside tehran university,

president ahmadinejad unleashed a tirade against israel and the west. >> translator: today the most important issue in the world is the issue of palestine. if there is a conflict going on in iraq, we believe that the conflict has been instigated by the zionists. >> reporter: outside tehran university, it was protestors giving the president a tongue lashing. death to the dictator they chanted as the president spoke. supporters also blaring no to gaza, no to lebanon, i'm giving my life to iran. making an appearance at the rally opposition leader and former prime minister mir hosseim mousavi. karubi was there too so was the ayatollah. in recent weeks, iran's hard

liners have called for the arrests of key opposition figures. on friday, they showed up anyway. on june 12th, iran's elections divided the country. three months later, no sign of the two sides making peace. despite the face-off, there were no reports of widespread clashes. the opposition leaders don't appear to have any political options remaining on the table, but the big turnout is an indication, analysts say, that they're still a force to be reckoned with and continue to apply pressure on ahmadinejad during his second term. wolf? >> reza sayah watching all this. meanwhile, no room at the inn. one new york hotel is canceling an event with mahmoud ahmadinejad during his visit to the united nations next week. others are being targeted. let's bring in abby. what hotel is specifically saying no? >> it's the new york hotel not saying welcome to ahmadinejad

next week. a spokesman saying when they learned the iranian president was planning a function there, learned of the details, they canceled it immediately and said he's not welcome there or any of their properties. they learned this through this group, united against nuclear iran, an organization that is currently targeting meeting halls, hotels, places where the iranian delegation might be hosting events in the week that's coming. they're currently targeting a meeting hall in new york city. a meeting hall where they say another event is scheduled next week. the general manager says that group is incorrect on that. they're also focusing on the barclay intercontinental where he has stayed in the past. not commenting saying for the privacy of the guests they never comment on who might be staying there. wolf? >> thank you. let's take a closer look now at the pro tests resurging in iran on this day. and ahmadinejad's comments blasting the west and israel. a former cnn headline news

anchor currently the director of public relations for the public affairs alliance of iranian americans. rudy, thanks for coming in. >> you're welcome, wolf. >> what is the right way to treat the visiting iranian president when he comes to new york next week to address the u.n. general assembly? >> i think when you ask the iranian-american community, they want to see a more robust activity on the part of their own community protesting the president, protesting what they've been seeing going on in the streets of iran. there's something going on among the iranian american community that we haven't seen in the past 30 years since they've started migrating here. and that is that you see the -- which normally thought that the governments of iran would change at a slow pace and had completely lost hope in any change in iran. now have been galvanized by the visuals that they see out on the streets of tehran, on the streets. the people showing that they really want to protest at what

has been happening. that they really believe they have been wrong, that they really don't like the way this government has been treating their people both on the streets and in the jail cell. >> he needs a place to stay when he comes to new york. he's going to be there for a few days. should hotels based on what you know, based on your support, should hotels in new york allow him to stay there? >> the organization is an organization that brings together iranian americans, not an organization that has any political activity with regards to iran. but what it does is allows for other organizations like united for iran, which is an organization that sprung up post june. because of the fact that they felt the need to unite to be able to be effective here in terms of shining a light on the atrocities that are going on inside of the prisons. that is what our organization allows for that to happen. >> are you calling for demonstrations in new york next week? >> it is not the public affairs alliance, but many organizations

are. and people are allowed to do what they believe is right for their country. >> you've studied the situation in iran, you've got got good contacts closely over these past several years, what do you think is going to happen not necessarily next week or two months, but down the road as far as ahmadinejad is concerned? >> i think the movement was very heartened by what they saw today. despite the brutal crackdown these past few months on the green movement, on members of the green movement, on innocent protestors, even though they've seen images of people being beaten, even though they've heard that people are being raped brutally and killed inside the prisons. you still saw iranians taking to the streets. which means that the movement is very strong. what you saw, which was even more important today, wolf, was that rafsanjani, ever since back in '79, the summer that he took power, not to be confused with

the former president, a hard le liner very aligned with ahmadinejad. and that tells me that the iranian government is very scared. >> rudi, thanks for coming in. we'll stay on top of this story too. gruesome new details of alleged grave desecration. workers give new details of bones and skulls discarded to make way for new plots. and this crime was horrific, but some say his punishment was cruel and unusual. extremely painful botched execution that went on for two hours. and scrapping a missile defense shield in europe. critics opened fire on president obama's move. now hillary clinton is firing right back. a sharp rebuke from the secretary of state. the former republican presidential candidate mitt romney is here in the situation room. he's walking in, we're going to talk about that and more. i'm ed whitacre, the new chairman of general motors.

before i started this job, i admit, i had some doubts. probably a lot like you. but i like what i found. i think you will too. car for car, when compared to the competition, we win. simple as that. i just know if you get into one of our cars, you're gonna like what you see. so we're putting our money where our mouth is. buy a new chevy, buick, gmc or cadillac and if you are not 100% happy, return it. we'll take it back. that's our new 60-day satisfaction guarantee. and as always you'll get our 100,000-mile, 5-year powertrain warranty on every vehicle. that's how strongly we feel about our cars. and how committed we are to you. so put us to the test-- put us up against anyone and may the best car win.

♪ ♪ which one's me - for a cool convertible or an suv? ♪ ♪ too bad i didn't know my credit was whack ♪ ♪ 'cause now i'm driving off the lot in a used sub-compact. ♪ ♪ f-r-e-e, that spells free credit report dot com, baby. ♪ ♪ saw their ads on my tv ♪ thought about going but was too lazy ♪ ♪ now instead of looking fly and rollin' phat ♪ ♪ my legs are sticking to the vinyl ♪ ♪ and my posse's getting laughed at. ♪ ♪ f-r-e-e, that spells free- credit report dot com, baby. ♪

secretary of state hillary clinton is sharply rebuking critics of president obama's move to scrap bush era plans for a missile defense shield based in europe. our foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty is joining us live. what's the secretary saying? >> well, wolf, secretary clinton had a big speech this morning. actually on the upcoming u.n. general assembly. but she ended up defending

president obama's missile defense decision. and she was ready for a fight. >> reporter: hillary clinton fires back at critics who charge president barack obama caved into russia and shelved the bush era missile defense system. >> this decision was not about russia. >> reporter: but in moscow, vladimir putin praises barack obama. the president's move brings smiles to russia. the washington times says his own new system veers more in line with russia. wrong says the secretary of state. >> it was about iran. and the threat that its ballistic missile program poses. and because of this position, we believe we will be in a far stronger position to deal with that threat, and to do so with technology that works. >> reporter: missile defense is not dead says hillary clinton. >> we are not "shelving" missile

defense. we are deploying missile defense sooner than the bush administration planned to do so. and we are deploying a more comprehensive system. >> reporter: but what about poland and the czech republic? the two countries where the system was supposed to be built? a polish tabloid blares the u.s. sold us to russia and stabbed us in the back. >> we would never, never walk away from our allies. >> reporter: to critics who claim mr. obama's decision puts america's security at risk, hillary clinton says, think again. >> make no mistake, if you support missile defense, which i did as a senator for eight years, then this is a stronger and smarter approach than the previous program. >> reporter: and secretary clinton was asked whether russia might harden its line on iran as a result of mr. obama's decision on missile defense. but she sides that that question. >> thanks very much.

let's talk about this with mitt romney, the former republican presidential candidate, former governor of massachusetts. why do you think -- you don't think she's right, do you? >> no, not at all. you have a very belligerent iran. that's pursuing -- >> but she says and the president says that this new missile defense shield will deal with the short range and the mid range, the medium-range missiles, they don't have a long-range missile. >> but they have the capacity over time to make a long-range missile. and we're going to time our long-range defense to the exact time when iran might develop that threat is going to occur is obviously ridiculous. you have to have the capacity as early as you possibly can put it in place to protect ourselves and protect our allies from threats which can develop. and our intelligence is not so clear sagted in iran to know exactly what they have and when they're going to develop new capacity. if we want to protect our european allies and ourselves. we should pursue missile defense with all due speed. >> because the president and the secretary of state, they clearly are suggesting that what they

want to do is protect israel right now in the short-term because israel apparently is the greatest -- is in the greatest danger from iran and what they have in mind will protect israel. >> there's no question, but the protecting israel is very, very important, and we should use what resources we can to provide that missile defense. but we also should protect others of our allies and invest in our missile defense system. the president also pulled back in alaska. look, at a time when north korea is testing nuclear weaponry. when they're testing missiles, when iran is pursuing their own nuclear ambitions, this is a time to be investing more in missile defense, not pulling back from it. this is something that the department of defense has worked on for a long time. our good friends took a lot of political heat to put in place the capacity to develop these sites and then back away is a kick in the sand. and in their faces and at the same time is something which jeopardizes our friends across -- >> will this short-term -- will this plan now that the obama administration has reassure the

israelis enough to stop thinking about some sort of preemptive strike against iran's nuclear facilities? if they're told by the united states, you know what, there's a missile defense shield that will protect you from iranian missiles. >> i think it's hard to assess what netanyahu and the israelis are going to think that america's going to do. i think the assessment was made this is not as great a threat than we thought is going to be more troubling than encouraging. the only thing encouraging is the russians. and i think it tells, vladimir putin if you bellow out enough, america will back down. and first rule in negotiations is if you're going to give something up, make sure to get something and we simply didn't do that. >> let's talk about health care reform. another key issue on the agenda right now. some say that the program that the president of the united states has in mind is very similar to what you as governor of massachusetts put in place. >> you know, some things are similar. an exchange that allows people

to purchase insurance at a good price, that's a good idea. that's something we did. telling people that they're not going to get refused for a preexisting coverage, that's a good idea. not letting insurance companies drop you if you get sick, that's a good idea. but that's about where the good ideas end. and where he goes on with this government option is a very, very bad idea. ultimately that's going to lead to a new entitlement to massive spending to the kind of rationing you see in europe. that's the wrong way to go. >> mike huckabee who was your rival for the republican presidential nomination, the former governor of arkansas, he was at a rally at an event here in washington today. and it sounds -- he didn't mention you by name. he sounds like he's going after you personally because of what you did as governor of massachusetts. listen to huckabee. >> you want to see what government-run health care looks like? a couple of states have tried it. tennessee and massachusetts. bankrupted both states. you know the only thing inexpensive about the massachusetts health care bill is that there you can get a $50

abortion. >> wow. that's pretty strong statement from a republican basically going after a fellow republican. >> well, first of all, i agree on abortion. but the abortion decision was made by the courts. there was nothing in our bill in terms of health care reform that dealt with abortion. >> but did your health care legislation, your program in massachusetts bankrupt the state? >> of course not. the program of massachusetts is working well. the cost is precisely in line with what was forecasted by the conference committee. it cost the state a little over 1% of the state budget. and we have 98% of our -- >> so you're satisfied with the way it's working. >> oh, it's not perfect and we can learn lessons from it. the key lessons are these. you can get everybody insured without a government option and without having to break the bank. >> so what do you want to say to the former governor of arkansas? >> i'm saying the american people, come look at massachusetts, learn what worked and what didn't and what worked is, you don't need to have government takeover health care in order to get people insured and you don't need to have a back-breaking expensive tax increase in order to do that.

and in our state, look, we were able to get the plan in place, cost the state about $340 million. and that's a little over 1% of our budget. >> so you're happy, you're ready to debate him on this, on the value of a massachusetts -- >> i'm not talking debates yet, but when the president's talking about a businessman date for insurance and he's going to have a government option, that's the wrong way to go. we've proven you don't have to go that way. well, his plan is almost $1 trillion. that's just completely out of line with what the american people think. >> some political pundits based on what hobby said today are already suggesting, you know what, he's thinking about 2012. you might be thinking about 2012, there could be a little rivalry going on for the republican presidential nomination. >> i'm actually thinking about this year in making sure that the president doesn't put on the american people an extraordinary burden by having a government-run health care system that's massively expensive and with a government entitlement, that's the wrong way to go. but reform, that accomplishes what we accomplish. i would like to see that on a

state by state basis. but that's a good idea. >> i asked you if you're ready to debate. you said not yet. >> i'm not looking at debates. looking at the right course in washington and making sure we elect some moderate and conservative voices in congress and in the senate to support our team that's there. >> i'm ready to host that debate between you and huckabee if you want. >> you're going to have to wait long and hard. i'm not sure that's ever going to happen. >> it could happen. it's happened before, we'll watch it closely. >> i enjoyed it last time. >> i enjoyed hosting it, as well. thanks very much for coming in. >> thanks, wolf. republican lawmakers rallying party troops. >> while some are prepared to write the obituary on our values and our movement, i believe we are on the brink of a great american awakening. >> is he right? i'll ask donna brazil and bill bennett standing by. plus, plans to spend $30 million of government stimulus dollars on two very remote border crossings. raising eyebrows right now.

under fire. cnn's special investigation unit is on the story. kelly saunder's nature valley. ♪ the place that inspires her to go faster... ♪ and slower. ♪ elk mountains, colorado. where's yours? 100% natural nature valley granola bars. the taste nature intended. over health care reform, aarp has chosen a side-- yours. we're fighting to guarantee that you'll never be denied coverage because of your health or age. to prevent anyone from coming between you and your doctor. and to make sure patients don't take a backseat to insurance companies. because at aarp, we believe your health is worth fighting for. learn more at aarp.org.

all right. there's information just coming into the situation room from baltimore right now. let's go to fredericka whitfield. what's going on? >> we're talking about what appears to be a major broken water main in maryland. take a look right there at those images. many feet of water there flooding over. in fact, now, they're concerned about the people who live and have been commuting through that area. they're also putting out an all man search out to make sure that no one is missing because possibly some cars could have

been swept away as you see right there. a lot of the vehicles that are simply flooded by the water. it looks like a river in some parts of the neighborhood there. and also some bad news on the job front we want to turn to. or rather before we get to that, let's talk about the update on the yale killing. the harper current newspaper is reporting that police found the suspect's dna in a ceiling, and in the wall where graduate student annie le's body was found. one official tells the newspaper that raymond clark iii tried to hide blood covered in equipment. police arrested clark and charged him with murder yesterday. they're calling le's death a case of workplace violence. and here's something that you don't see every day. rare video of north korea's kim jong-il. the leader is seen here meeting with a special envoy from china. the meeting represents an easing in tensions since north korea's most recent nuclear tests. the communist leader is believed to have suffered a stroke last

year. officials insist that he is in good health. and, okay. you love that big screen. that high-def tv. you officially call yourself the coolest family on the block, right? well, not for long. several television manufacturers are now developing 3-d television. special glasses and all, and experts say it will be ready for the home market as early as next year. so when the "situation room" just went high definition this week on monday, now soon, we'll see you in 3-d. what's the world coming to. >> this is scary stuff. >> we love that. we can't get enough of our wolf blitzer and now we get to see you in 3-d. >> and you too. much better to see you too. we're taking you on a hunt to see how millions of your tax dollars are being spent. >> we've flown to billings, montana, driving for five hours through a country that has more antelope than people. and i'll tell you, we've done

the bridges to nowhere, the roads to nowhere, but this may be the topper. >> they're among the most remote and least-used border crossings in the country. why did the federal government shell out $30 million to expand them? plus, botched execution, we have some dramatic new del details of what went wrong and why it could keep a convicted killer from being put to death. in fact, they want it all. you know, when i place an order, don't just fill it. get me the best available price. a better price means more money in my pocket. that's why td ameritrade's proprietary order routing technology consistently seeks the best available price. i've got quotes, charts, watch lists. just the way i want them. mission control? right here. command center 2.0 letsou customize your trading space. no risk, no reward. but i need to know what the risk is. my secret? backtest... backtest... backtest. strategydesk lets you backtest your trading ideas to help you choose

the best ones and it's free. with superior tools like these, traders get what they want. it's trader heaven. call or go to tdameritrade.com. independence is the spirit that drives america's most successful investors. announcer: trade commission free for 30 days, plus, get $100 cash when you open an account.

are more than words here. it's personal. i have diabetes. rodney's kid too. so we're so proud to manufacture... the accu-chek® aviva meters and test strips... here in the u.s.a. plus, we've proven you'll waste 50% fewer strips... when you use our meter, which means greater savings... for people with diabetes, like me. now that's a true american value. accu-chek® aviva. born in the u.s.a.

situation room, happening now, the widening terror probe in new york and colorado involving afghan nationals. what's going on? we have new information. covering the tea party protests here in washington. we answer an erroneous fox news ad claiming that cnn among others ignored the news in the nation's capital last saturday. and rambo rabbis. rabbis at some synagogues are getting a crash course on anti-terror tactics. i'm wolf blitzer, you're in the "situation room." with so much focus on border security, it's easy to understand why the homeland security department is spending millions of dollars on updating its border crossing facilities. the two projects are raising eyebrows. some call them flat out crazy. drew griffin of cnn's special investigations unit takes us there.

>> reporter: we knew this when we had to see to believe, but after driving for hours, was thought we might never see it. >> we've flown to billings, montana, we've been driving for five hours through a country that has more antelope than people. and we've done the bridges to nowhere, the roads to nowhere, but this may be the topper. >> reporter: it was supposed to be $15 million. to replace what appears to be a perfectly fine border crossing station, especially when you consider the bureau of transportation statistics say this border crossing station in montana sees fewer than 20 vehicles a day. it's not that you could just call this border crossing slow. here i am in the middle of the day sitting in the middle of the road. there's nobody here.

it's even quieter here. the border crossing at white tail, montana. the bureau of transportation statistics says the custom agents here get an average of fewer than two vehicles a day. yet, this too was to see a $15 million upgrade thanks to the federal stimulus bill. >> well, i think everybody was pretty well blown away that there's been $32 million on a new border station. i believe they need to update, but that seems to be kind of a crazy number. >> reporter: why suddenly was so much money supposed to come to northeast montana border crossing, especially when you consider that these border crossings are so unused they're both closed at night? could it be politics? since the democrats took over in the senate, montana's two democratic senators have become very powerful. senator max baucus is chairman of the senate finance committee,

senator john tester is on the homeland security committee. and both took credit for the millions allocated up here in a joint press release. saying they pushed homeland security for the stimulus spending. this is good news for all of montana and especially communities across the northern tier, senator baucus said in that release. senator tester said the spending would pay off for generations to come by creating new jobs and opportunity that will benefit all of montana. and just this week, senator tester reiterated his support in a statement saying through his spokesperson, because our borders are only as strong as their weakest link, john supports sealing up all security gaps and expects to see the work done as responsibly and efficiently as possible. the department of homeland security even told us that security concerns, not politics, drove this decision to spend on the ports. >> we feel that these ports like all ports of entry are a vital part of that network of security

we establish along the borders and that the investments we're going to do it before are a critical step in ensuring we can perform our mission. >> reporter: mark's family has been farming this border for generations. his land is adjacent to the border crossing. in winter, entire days go by, he says, where you won't see a single car. an idea to build a new border station that sees fewer than 20 cars a day at a cost of $15 million tax dollars, he says could only have come from washington. >> well, when you're spending somebody else's money, cost is no big deal, right? if i'm spending your money, what do i care as long as you've got a big pocketbook, what do i care where i spend it? the accountability we need to have and the sensibility and the common senses need to apply here. the senators did a fine job as far as getting money for northeast montana, absolutely great. but would it be wiser spent on something more useful to the

public generally? >> reporter: they would have received a temporary boost to the local economy, but not anymore. shortly after the dhs defended the project to cnn on camera, the secretary pulled the plug. ordering a full review of how her department makes spending decisions. drew griffin, cnn, montana. >> and to be clear, cnn tried to get comments from the two u.s. senators from montana for two weeks before the project was put on hold, the only response we've received -- that's what you heard in this report. a botched execution leaves a condemned man in excruciating pain as he's poked with a needle 18 times in an unsuccessful effort to insert an i.v, and now there's a controversial plan to try it again. and cnn's own rick sanchez is all fired up, and he's drawing a line in the sand.

>> well, today, thousands of you flipped through the pages of the washington post only to come across a lie so bold and so upsetting that frankly i'm not going to sit here in silence and allow my craft or my news operation to be unfairly maligned. because enough is enough. and yes, i'm talking to you, fox news. these days, wouldn't it be great if saving money happened as automatically as everything else? at bank of america, it practically does. use the bankamericard power rewards visa credit card and earn rewards like cash back with every purchase. cash you can put into savings. or even use to help pay down your credit card balance. it's one of the many ways we make saving money in tough times a whole lot easier. it doesn't cover everything. and what it doesn't cover can cost you some money. that's why you should consider... an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company. it can help cover some zd what medicare doesn't...

so you could save up to thousands of dollars... in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this free information kit... and medicare guide. if you're turning 65 or you're already on medicare, you should know about this card; it's the only one of its kind... that carries the aarp name -- see if it's right for you. you choose your doctor. choose your hospital. and no referrals needed. there are no networks help protect yourself from some of what medicare doesn't cover. save up to thousands of dollars... on potential out-of-pocket expenses... with an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company. call now for your free information kit... and medicare guide and find out... how you could start saving.

the debate over health care reform, it is hot, it is very, very hot. let's talk about that. and more with our cnn political contributors, the democratic strategists donna brazil and bill bennett the host of the conservative national talk radio show "morning in america." he's also a fellow at the claremont institute. i'm going to play a little clip of some republicans really getting their supporters enthusiastic. >> while some are prepared to write the obituary on our values and our movement, i believe we are on the brink of a great american awakening.

>> ordinary americans speaking their minds, dismissed and ridiculed by people in power. the reason they're doing this is clear because we're winning the argument. >> are they, donna, winning the argument right now in this health care debate? >> no, they've muddied the water. but i don't believe they'll win any arguments. i think they're also misreading the tea leaves. if you look at the latest gallop poll, 58% of the republicans disapprove of the work that the members of congress are doing. perhaps rather than focus on the next election, they might focus oncoming up with good alternatives to the democratic proposals so they can go to their voters and their base and say, here's what we're planning to do. right now they're not doing that. >> are they winning the argument? >> i think they are winning the argument, although i don't think the president would be on five or six or seven shows this weekend. and the polls have shown over the last two months more and more doubts about the president's program.

it seems odd to have wasted this opportunity. but there is so much catch up it seems to me the democrats are doing on this debate. they are on defense and the republicans are on offense. some of this was a gift, i think, given the number of confusions that came out. but i think people are just nervous about the plan. >> it seems based on the coverage we all see that the base of the opposition is much more riled up than the base of the supporters of the president in terms of going out there and demanding action. >> well, wolf, i think the media has put the spotlight on those with the loudest voices. but those with reason answers to a crisis that is really troubling to many americans. this impacts -- >> why haven't we seen 100,000 folks come into washington to rally on behalf of the president's plan? >> well, you know, wolf, i think the democrats if they choose to call a protest meeting or a rally, they should. but right now the democrats are the majority party and the american people by and large

still continue to support this president. he may have lost a little bit in terms of his personal standing, but they trust his policies. and i think that that's when the debate's going to end is when they see fully what the democrats will put forward. >> i think the point about the passion is because 80% or something like 80% of the american people like their health care. they're happy with it. and they're worried that things could get a lot worse. the other place to look is not just the base of the republican party, but the independents. you see an awful lot of defection from support of barack obama's proposals from the independents. the elderly are nervous about this. i think you're right -- >> let me read you what jay rockefeller said about his republican colleague olympia snowe, a moderate. i think the world of olympia snowe, she's got incredible courage and the republican leadership is brutal in the way they apply pressure, much more so than the democrats. they bring the hammer down on here and i'm not going to say how. you've been in washington, bill,

for a long time. those are pretty strong words. >> i also know olympia snowe, she's pretty indifferent, i think to any kind of hammers. i don't see this happening. but if you want a heavy hammer, but i think rockefeller's hammer on max baucus -- >> he doesn't like the fact that he abandoned the public option. >> absolutely. doesn't look like there will be any republican support for this plan that baucus has. and now baucus may not have much democrat support either. >> look, i still believe that this bill is a work in progress. and what chairman baucus has been able to do is to bring together a bunch of ideas that the republicans offered. they wanted to have a bill without a public option. that's what chairman baucus gave them. they wanted a bill that allowed for interstate competition. that's what chairman baucus gave them. chairman baucus has given the republicans pretty much everything they wanted. they don't want reform, they don't want to see the american people be able to afford health care, they don't want the uninsured be able to have access. and bill, this is serious. this is a -- >> serious charge. >> this is an issue for many americans as michelle obama said

today, the first lady, this is personal. many americans are losing their health insurance each and every day. and for the status quo, the republicans to sit around and say, oh, let's just let the status quo -- >> no one's advancing that. a flat misrepresentation. there are 30 different bills, there are 30 different plans. >> analyzed any bill? >> yes, several of the bills. the ryan coburn bill, for example. >> the cost? >> the cost will not drive up the deficit, it will cover 90% of the uninsured, and it's a perfectly good plan. that's where i complain about the media, but i don't want to say you complain about the media i'll complain about the media. but john price in georgia has collected all of the republican alternatives, there are 30 alternatives, they are serious, they address the problem of the uninsured, they address the problem. >> we're not going to resolve this right now. both of you are going to come back in a few minutes. but i do want to get you on the record, bill, because we haven't spoken since this whole uproar over the czars has come up.

and you actually were a czar. you were the drug czar during the reagan administration. and so -- you have the unique perspective on the complaint that there shouldn't be these czars. >> point of privilege, if i may. >> you may. >> couple weeks ago talked about the drug czar and maybe we can't get anything done and maybe that's why nothing has been done. you don't ever finally win the war on drugs meaning nobody's using drugs, but you can have periods of time in which you make great progress and then you can fall back. and the late '80s and early '90s was a time of great progress. i will give credit to joe biden, created the position i first took and charlie wrangle, actually who was very helpful. bipartisan effort. there were 24 million active drug users in the 1980s. in 1992, there were 11 million. that's a big slice. that's a big cut. we raised the price of cocaine, we lowered the purity of cocaine. i had the wind up my back, the american people cared a lot about this issue. but the notion that government can't do anything and we didn't do anything isn't right.

let me say one i had, i was confirmed by the senate. and i think it really helps a czar to be confirmed. i think if mr. jones had gone up for a confirmation, might have avoided this process. >> don't go away, we're going to talk about something happening right now. cnn's john king has just spoken to president obama. john's going to join us live at the top of the hour with part of his interview. standby for that. we'll get analysis from donna and bill. cnn's own rick sanchez has a two-word message. >> we put a call into fox news for a comment, and we expect an apology. but we're still waiting. let me address the fox news network now. perhaps the most current way that i can by quoting somebody who recently used a very pithy phrase. two words, it's all i need. you lie. but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride.

with zyrtec ® i can love the air ™ . some lunch. you hungry? yeah. me too. (door crashes in) (broadview alarm) (gasp and scream) go! go! go! go! go! go! (phone rings) hello? this is mark with broadview security. is everything okay? no. someone just tried to break in. i'm sending help right now. thank you. (announcer) brink's home security is now broadview security. call now to install the standard system for just $99. the proven technology of a broadview security system delivers rapid response from highly trained professionals, 24 hours a day.

call now to get the $99 installation, plus a second keypad installed free. and, you could save up to 20% on your homeowner's insurance. call now - and get the system installed for just $99. broadview security for yot- home or business - the next generation of brink's home security. call now.

now a cnn exclusive and a dramatic follow-up to a story cnn's special investigation unit broke involving a major jewish cemetery outside los angeles. a lawsuit claims workers desecrated graves there for years. now one of the owners is

speaking out exclusively to one of our special investigations correspondent abbie boudreau. what's going on because the allegations are very, very dramatic? >> yes, and the person that you're going to hear from, he was nervous because he didn't want to show his face because he was scared he was going to lose his job by talking, so he did ask us to hide his identity. he tells a gruesome story about grave diggers chipping into vaults in order to make room for new ones. this grave digger just got off work from eden memorial. he was still in his cemetery uniform when he talked to cnn. >> i want to tell the truth. >> he says his supervisors told him many times to break concrete vaults to make room for new ones. oftentimes, bones from the broken vaults would fall out. he told us that his supervisors would tell them to throw those

bones away. he says he and grandmothother g diggers -- when asked how often graves were disturbed, he said two to three times a week and the total number of broken vaults was in the hundreds. >> there are 300, but probably more. >> so 300 gravesites were disturbed and the remains were moved around? >> si. >> he said he would get fired history he didn't do what he was told. but he was afraid he would get fired. he says he was even instructed what to do if people were visiting the cemetery. >> they would cover the holes with green so the people couldn't see it. >> and mat teo morales garcia tells the same story, that a

salesman from the cemetery was the one who instructed him. >> break this piece, break this piece, i said you're not supposed to be break and he said nobody can see. go ahead and do that. >> garcia was fired last year, but the company that owned the cemetery, service corporation international won't say why. now garcia comes forward now. in a statement, sci says, quote, these people are not credible. the company went on to say that in a prior investigation conducted by the department of consumer affairs, eden's grounds crew was interviewed. obviously these two disgruntled individuals did not raise these sweeping allegations in prior opportunities. the company is concerned and

troubled by the allegations. it affects the entire jewish communit communi community. a botched execution, a condemned man is poked with a needle 18 times as executioners try for two years to deliver a deadly cocktail of drugs. and teaching anti-terror tactics over at synagogues. >> come on j. >> and the gun comes out. so. good choice. only meineke let's you choose your service, choose your savings. like an oil change for just $19.95. meineke.

lnchts the highest court in the country stop a convicted child killer from being put to death just days after prison staff botched his execution, an ohio inmate is asking the supreme court to keep him alive. brian todd is joining us now with more. brian, you've come up with some dramatic new details. what's going on? >> wolf, this is the first execution is to be scheduled and then failed. the lawyers have delayed his execution again. this operation went so poorly, that according to that inmate, a

female nurse left the room flustered. one of several strange details surrounding this case. >> reporter: just 17 steps from the room where he would be put to death, ron nell broom was helping his executioners, he flexed his muscles to help them shoot him full of chemicals. his lawyer gave other details to cnn. >> there were attempts made to parts of the body where bone was hit that was exkrush naturing for mr. broom. >> reporter: it all happened tuesday in a ohio state prison. broom convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl 18 years old never made it out of the execution chamber. officials were going to bring him back to die next tuesday. but broom's lawyers have just succeeded in delaying it and want to stop it completely. they say bringing him back to die would be cruel and unusual

punishment. >> it's really ironic in that this defendant and his lawyer are whining about getting pricked with a needle and call it cruel and unusual punishment when he stood over this 14-year-old girl after he raped her and then stabbed her and plunged a knife into her seven times. >> but broom's lawyers also want to change the way lethal injections are done in ohio. his group chronicles executions, doesn't take a moral position on the death penalty, but it has been critical of how they're carried out. >> the gist of the issue here is the protocol in ohio which is similar to other states. >> this is a complicated protocol of three drugs administered by people who are not doctors, but rather who are guards and there are going to be complications when you're dealing with the human physiology. >> the vain insertions are done

by what they call the execution staff, not by doctors, but those people have to be trained as emts or paramedics. >> do i have confidence in my team? yes. >> reporter: we're told that that prison official you just heard from actually thanked ronell broom later for all the cooperation he exhibit when they tried execute him. >> are doctors present at these executions. >> some states do require doctors to be present at the execution, but that is a very sticky issue with the american medical association. in ohio, the doctors check for usable vains. a surprising interview with president obama, john king is just emerging from their one-on-one interview over at the white house. and michelle obama follows hillary clinton's lead, how far

will she go to help her husband promote health care reform. and our own rick sanchez has two words for one of our competitors. you lie. false claims that this network didn't cover obama protests last weekend. i'm wolf blitzer in cnn's command center for breaking news, politics and extraordinary reports from around the world. you're in "the situation room." just in this hour, president obama's new media push, he just sat down for an interview with our chief national correspondent john king, the host of cnn's "state of the union." john's joining us from the white house. how did it go. >> we covered a lot of ground about why the president right go back on his promise not to raise taxes on the middle class. how the family is preparing for the h1n1 virus.

but he also spent some time on an issue that's generating emotional debate across the country. all these protests, all the signs, afro socialism, as you know, former president jimmy carter are among those who say this is racism against president obama. i asked the president, sir, do you see this as racism? >> are there people out there who don't like me because of race? i'm sure there are. that's not the overriding issue here. i think there are people who are anti-government, i think that there are -- there's been a long standing debate in this country that is usually that much more fierce during times of transition or when presidents are trying to bring about big changes. i mean the things that were said

about fdr are pretty similar to the things that are said about me, he was a communist, he was a socialist. things that were said about ronald reagan when he was trying to reverse some of the new deal programs were pretty vicious as well. >> reporter: so you see there, wolf, the president choosing his words pretty carefully, most of it he thinks because of the anxiety out there over the big changes and in some cases disagreement about his policy again. we also covered a lot of other ground, health care and how his families are getting ready for what could be an h1n1 flu pandemic this school year. . >> how would you describe his mood right now? >> reporter: he was in a good mood, he said he was going to watch a movie with the family tonight. he's getting ready to begin his weekend here. he understands the huge health care debate and the afghanistan

debate. it's very clear that the president understands all that. he went through a marathon day of interviews today. >> john's full interview with the president will air sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. eastern on "state of the union." let's bring in our cnn contributors, democratic strategists dawna brazil and bill bennett. what is your reaction to how the president's doing? >> as i mentioned earlier, despite all of the noise and all of the efforts to undermine some of his key policies, he's doing quite well. >> on this issue of race and the role of race that has played -- in the after math of the jimmy carter interview. >> i think throughout the next couple of years, we're going to continue to have the issue of race raised in some context. race has been a part of american history now, but i don't see the comments that the president has

made, nor the former president, i don't see why this continues to dominate our conversation. we should allow president obama to discuss these issues without looking his opponents and smearing them as racist. there's a fringe element in our society that clearly are still racist, but by and large -- >> you disagree with president carter? >> i respect former president carter and he has spent most of his career fighting for -- he was speaking for a certain element of our society. >> i think it's fair to say that the president wouldn't even be asked about that question if the former president hadn't raised the whole issue as dramatically as he did earlier in the week. >> the founders said that the former president should be asked to leave the country so the ghost wouldn't be asked for their deliberations. i would associate with myself

with dawna's remarks. he should just stop, he's heating up something which we do not need to have heated up. the president doesn't want to talk in these terms. dawna doesn't want to talk in these terms. it does not serve the democrats to talk in these terms. >> so the ugly pictures the ugly images that we have seen at some of these rallies, some of the ugly comments, should we just ignore that? >> there's ugly every at every rally. i have a talk show with my audience center right, and we do not get anything like this. are there people like this in the country? of course, should it be elevated to the level that jimmy carter and nancy pelosi elevated it to. >> i don't think jimmy carter and nancy pelosi elevated anything because it's right there in american life. we keep talking about having a dialogue, teachable moments, but we don't get to the legacy of

slavery, and the legacy of jim crow, and because we don't get to those real serious questions, we're having a hollow conversation. >> you get nowhere by pointing your finger and calling someone one of the worst things you can possibly call them. >> we take a look at major polls and we average them out to get a sense of how the president's job approval numbers, how is the president handling his job, right at 55% approval, 39% approve. those are pretty good numbers for a president. >> they are pretty good numbers, people like him, they have elected him, they know it's a historic event to have elected him and people like him. but there's a sense, and i think this is fair, that things are racing a little bit out of control. there's so many things going on in washington, he's pushing so many buttons at the same time, people are feeling a little bit nervous, he needs to slow down and take a look. >> midterm elections, that's why

they're trying to do so much right now, on the domestic front and internationally for that matter. >> he's a multitasker. maybe he's a serial multitasker perhaps because he has great people surrounding him that can also handle the troop surge in afghanistan, missile defense, iran, russia and of course deal with the economy, climate change, health care, there's nothing wrong with a president of the united states taking on these issues and it's up to those of us in the public and i think the american people to try to be engaged in a debate in a very civil manner. bill and i don't agree on much of anything, but we love our country and we believe in justice and equality for all. >> and you always have a very, very civil debate which i deeply appreciate, guys, as well. >> we're afraid of you too. >> thanks very much. >> and he has a good wife too. >> the best. >> thanks. the congressman with who screamed you lie has another public showing of emotion, it's joe wilson's first public event in his district since screaming

at the president. wait until you see his emotions this time. and seven former cia chiefs say what the attorney general is doing could weaken the fight against terrorists. and one of cnn's competitors and frequent antagonizers attempts to blast cnn, but cnn's rick sanchez exposes how the cable news competitor is flat out wrong. >> look at the bottom of the ad there where it says we cover all the news. really, you do? what, we don't? that's an offense to myself and to my colleagues who risk their lives.

we're fuming over false allegations that we didn't cover the so-called tea party protests here in washington last weekend. our own rick sanchez ventded his anger on his program earlier today and he explained just how extensively we did cover those anti-obama demonstrations. >> all right there is something i got to tell you now. if you watch this show, you know that i usually don't suffer fools gladly. especially when it comes to the fools who perpetuate falsehoods, today thousands of you flipped

through the pages of "the washington post," only to come across an ad so -- enough is enough. yes, i'm talking to you, fox news. you who claim to be fair and balanced. at what, i wonder? i don't know, but i've got a couple of ideas. fox news paid for a color ad today how did abc, nbc, msnbc, and cnn miss this? they're referred to the tea party at the nation's capital this weekend. they are saying we missed this story. they are saying we did not cover this story. they are using a lie to try and divide people into camps. and you know, americans are starting to get tired of this. look at the bottom of the ad there, where it says we cover all of the news, really, you do?

what, we don't? that's an offense to myself, and to my colleagues who risk their lives for our viewers in iraq and afghanistan and around the world to break the news. they're actually telling people that we didn't cover a rally on washington. really? roll the tape. >> party march and rally happening in washington. our paul steinhauser is there with a whole lot of friends gathering around you. >> about two hours from now, they're going to march right behind us to gather at the west front of the capitol. >> was that like made up video? am i crazy or did i just watch cnn's paul steinhauser covering the story? you want more? here more. >> kate bolduan live at the capitol. we heard that a lot of people are coming from freedom plaza. >> that was cnn's kate bolduan.

here's another one. >> right now by cnn radio capitol hill correspondent lisa dejardin. >> what do you think of congressman joe wilson? there are people here who strongly support congressman wilson and many of them are right here. >> i don't know, call me crazy, but that sure looked like lisa dejardin. one last one, from our own jim spellman who followed and covered 30 rallies, 30 rallies along the tea party express route from coast to coast the last couple of weeks. here it is. >> platform journalist jim spellman travelled with the tea party express as it made it's way across the country. >> the bulk of the people are there for less taxes and less government control. but there really is an element that's got these outlandish conspiracy theories about death

camps and comparing president obama to hitler. it's not just a couple of people on the edges. >> all right, i want you to see more proof now, and this is really just an unbelievable coincidence that i want you to see. see that picture in the ad that they took out? okay, pay attention to that picture right there on the right. that's the ad that they took out saying we didn't cover the event. all right, now, keep an eye on that picture right there, you see the canadian flag? that's on their ad, see that canadian flag on the bomb. now see that picture on the left? that's our power cam shot of our event that we showed repeatedly throughout those shows. you can't say that we didn't cover an event by using that picture, that picture that looks an awful lot like our tower cam shot, doesn't it? and you used it in your ad saying we didn't cover the story. by the way, if you want even

more proof of coverage, maybe you should watch your own shows. there's a show on your network called "the o'reilly factor." here's bill o'reilly doing a segment called "really check." >> cnn was covering the anti-obama protests, but ran into a little trouble. >> cnn covered the event. there it is, this is bill o'reilly, showing us covering a story you say we didn't cover. let me give that to you again. that was bill o'reilly showing cnn's coverage of a story that fox news says we didn't cover. hmm. can you say reality check mate? >> cnn has we mentioned covered the anti-obama protests, but of course ran into a little trouble. >> here's the fact, we did cover the event. what we didn't do is promote the event.

just like when thousands marched on washington to protest the war in iraq, we covered it as well, probably less than we covered this event. but we didn't promote it, bottom line is we do cover the news and we did extensively cover this event. we didn't promote the event. that's not what real news organizations are supposed to do. we covered the event. i would invite you to look into that distinction between those two words, promote and cover. cover is kind of like a fair and balanced way of doing things. you get it? you might want to look into that. it's about letting americans make up their own minds, let me cut to the chase, when thousands of americans showed up at the nation's capitol to protest big government, we covered it, with four correspondents, two satellite trucks, multiple live interviews, lawmakers on the record and conversations with attendees.

by the way, we put a call into fox news for a comment and we expect an apology. but we're still waiting. let me address the fox news network now. perhaps the most current way that i can. by quoting somebody who recently used a very pithy phrase, two words, that's all i need, you lie. eeeeeeeeeeeeee

fred roc hello, again, wolf, part of a road collapses after a massive water main break, roads, neighborhoods and a shopping center are reported flooded in

dundolf, maryland. crews are on the scene right now trying to fix the problem. and they're calling for boats to actually come in and help in any rescues. so far there are no reports of anyone being hurt. wednesday at the meeting of the u.n. general assembly, president barack obama will meet with japanese prime minister for the first time. his party won a landslide victory last night ending almost 50 years of unbroken rule by the liberal democratic party. and today the u.s. justice department asked a judge in boston to dismisa lawsuit against the defense of marriage act. that law bars the federal government from recognizing a same-sex marriage, even if it is legal under state law. the justice department makes it clear that the obama administration thinks the act should be repealed but doesn't think it is unconstitutional. and firefighters think it will take until tuesday to fully

contain a massive wildfire burning northeast of los angeles. it is now about 93% contained crews are worried that low humidity and high heat could make it tougher to snuff out the hot spots, since erupting august 26, the blaze has scorched 251 square miles, destroyed 89 homes and killed two firefighters. arson is still being blamed. and the weekly standard today announce the death of irving kristol, the writer and publisher is widely credited with founding the neo conservative movement. as a young man, kristol became disillusioned in the conservative movement. his son is a co-founder and editor for the weekly standard. >> and our deepest condolences to bill kristol and the entire kristol family. thanks very much for that. former cia chiefs are asking the obama administration to call

off an investigation. plus, michelle obama explains why she thinks health care reform is a women's issue. will her popularity help her husband win an uphill battle? and some of the last people you would expect to be out there fighting terrorism. rabbis. this is a deadly story. >> please don't hurt me. okay, okay, okay. >> and the gun comes out.

how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies. health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. million dollars a year. deny payment for 1 out of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story. we want good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option.

it's an issue affecting every american family, now pitching it becomes a family affair. we're seeing another instance of a first lady joining her husband in the fight for health care reform. michelle obama spoke to women over at the white house today. she says health reform is also a women's issue because it often involves women making health

care decisions for themselves and their family. let's go straight to our white house continue dan lothian. >> reporter: spokesman robert gibbs is downplaying any real strategy shift here, but a senior administration official is saying that the first lady is planning to get more involved in the health care reform debate and we saw some of that starting here today. in the push for health care reform, first lady michelle obama appealed directly to women. >> no longer can we sit by and watch the debate take on a life of its own. it is up to us to get involved. >> reporter: speaking to a diverse group of women, the first lady tied the issue of equality to the need for reform. >> for two years on the campaign trail, this is what i heard from women. that they were being crushed, crushed by the current structure of our health care. this is why we are fighting so hard for health insurance

reform. this is it, this is the face of the fight. >>. >> reporter: the first lady who is cnn research poll has a 67% favorable opinion. panting a vegetable garden. now she's stepping out in a more public way for health care reform, which as robert gibbs cut it amplifying the president's fight for health care. the president's tone appeared more campaign style at maryland yooufrd's rally. and he's pitching health care and other issues on five sunday talk shows. >> i think it's important for the president to speak to a host of different audiences, to reach as many people as possible to talk about the benefits of health care reform. >> gibbs says that he doesn't think the series of interviews will be a game changing moment, but he does believe that there

are a lot of minds to be changed, not only across the country but also on capitol hill and he also believes that the president is the best spokesperson for health care reform. >> dan lothian, thank you. the last person to speak on health care reform is now the secretary of state and despite the contentious debate, hillary clinton is now optimistic. >> i'm quite optimistic, we really have an opportunity now to produce an outcome that will significantly improve the important aspects of health care reform, controlling costs, increasing quality, expanding coverage, and it's interesting that, you know, what we are proposing is fundamentally so conservative compared with so many of our friends and allies around the world who do a much better job than we do in covering everybody and in keeping costs down. and yet, some of the political

opposition is so overheated. >> secretary clinton compared the legislative process to sausage making but she believes the end result will be a reform bill the president will sign into law. a famously vocal critic of barack obama spoke out just a short while ago. that would be joe wilson of south carolina who shouted you lie during the president's recent health care address before a joint session of congress. wilson got choked up during a news conference in his home state of south carolina. not many people were there to see it. let's go to brian that kieilar. how did it go. >> wolf, it was a very mellow event, maybe a dozen members of the local media and only a few dozen of congressman wilson con stitch wents and they gave him a pretty warm welcome. south carolina congressman joe wilson is back in his home

state, facing constituents and local media telling them it's time to move on. >> i of course as a gentleman, immediately contacted the white house, apologized, it was accepted numerous times. let's close the book on last week. let's look ahead to work together for real health insurance reform. >> reporter: the friday evening news conference was wilson's first public event in his home district since he let out the shout heard round the country. >> you lie. >> wilson's office encouraged supporters to contend and a small contingent showed up. wilson got choked up as he left the podium. wilson said he was simply moved by the outpouring of support he's gotten in the last week and a half. in this republican stronghold, congressman wilson is known simply as joe. while they agree that his outburst was inappropriate, they

too agree with -- >> i believe that we're becoming socialized in sort of a way, we're borrowing money from other people, we're doing these programs that are really taking away a lot of the choices from individual people. >> i'm somewhere between embarrassed and proud of him. sailed thanks for trying to stand up for the truth, but maybe next time, do it in a little bit more of an effective way that doesn't cast a bad shadow on who you are. >> reporter: congressman wilson's office says he is very eager to move on from this, the congressman through his spokesman denied our request for an interview. his spokesman saying, wolf, that this is just an opportunity for congressman wilson to answer the questions of local media, something he hadn't had a chance to do until now. >> brianna keilar joining us from south carolina. an extraordinary letter from seven former cia directors,

we're going to tell you what they're urging president obama to do about an investigation that was opened by his attorney generals. and meet the "rambo" rabbis as they're being called. they're trying to make sure synagogues are safe from terrorists. oing to work but i was like, hey, . >> come on! (announcer) only rogaine foam is shown to regrow hair in 85% of guys. i'll check it out and i'm like, nice. (announcer) rogain foam. stop losing. start gaining.

attention president obama, a group of former spy chiefs says something the attorney general is doing could potentially weaken the fight against terrorists. let's go straight to c nrnn's bn todd. >> the appeal in the form of a letter, urging president obama to shut down a key investigation by his attorney general. now it's unusual that seven former cia directors would collaborate on anything, but these are also men who served under both republican and democratic presidents. here they are. michael hayden, porter goss, james tenet, william woolsey and james scleshinger. also that foreign intelligence communities won't cooperate as much. and also they make this point.

this approach will seriously damage the willingness of many other intelligence officers to take risks to protect the country. this approach is vital to success in the long run and difficult fight against terrorists. >> what's the reaction from the obama administration? >> nothing directly from the white house, but the spokesman for attorney general eric holder has fought back. matthew miller says, quote, the attorney general's decision to order a preliminary review into the matter was made in line with his duty to examine the facts and to follow the law. he also added if anyone acting within the good faith and the scope of the legal guidance at that time will not be prosecuted. that's also an argument the president himself has made that those people should not be prosecuted. >> thanks very much, in an interview with cnn's fareed zakaria, the was asked the

relationship with iran and how far we would go to protect iran. let's to dmitry medvedev. >> if israel were to attack iran, would russia support iran in such a conflict? >> translator: russia will not support anyone or act in such circumstances. we are a peaceful country. that's the worst thing that you can imagine. i had to explain this before. let's try it once again. what would follow that? first, a humanitarian controvers catastrophe, a great number of refugees and a desire for reven revenge, not only israel, but, let's be frank about it, other countries as well, followed by unpredictable developments in the region. i believe that the scale of such

a calamity would be hard to measure. therefore prior to the signing of such a strike, we need to weigh the situation cautiously. that would be absolutely sensible. but israeli colleagues told me they don't want to do that. and i trust them. >> so you expect no israeli strike on iran? >> i hope that this decision will not be taken. >> and you can see the full interview with the russian president at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. eastern here on cnn, fareed zakaria, gps. let's check and see what lou has for the top of the hour. president obama's big health care media blitz, a new secret weapon has emerged, the first lady stepping in. also president obama saying illegal immigrants will not be covered by his health care plan, that is until he gives them an

necessity. was this the backdoor plan all along? and it turns out some kids were left behind after all. a new survey showing disturbing facts about our schools and what our kids are missing and what they're being educated in. join us for all of that, all of the day's news and a lot more. an entertaining, informative however. wolf, back to you. we're about to go one-on-one with one of president obama's top economic advisors. jessica yellin getting ready to do that. he's worried something in washington is slipping away. a watch

dog that could have prevented the worst abuses. so how is the job so far? >> i didn't come for the fun. and i haven't been disappointed. >> goolsby says he will keep the heat on congress to get that reform -- while there's been some positive economic news lately, he acknowledged the administration does not expect the job's picture to improve any time soon. >> what is he most afraid of right now? >> his biggest fear is his consumer protection agency, a watch dog for consumers, he's very concerned that lobbyists will protect that. on our political ticker right now, president obama is picking sides in colorado's democratic senate primaries. he issued a statement stating that the incumbent bennett was appointed to the senate in january, replacing

fellow democrat ken salazar when he became the interior secretary. more than five republicans are considering bids for bennett's seat. a pro wrestling mogul says she didn't expect her u.s. senate bid to be taken by the sport's colorful reputation. linda mcmahon who's challenging connecticut democrat and veteran senator chris dodd. the republican spoke to cnn. >> so you don't care if the republicans try to use some of your best wrestling moments against you. >> i think the citizens will see th that it's an entertainment product that's on television, and the company that's behind that is a very strong company. >> in massachusetts, republicans have blocked the bill to give the late senator ted kennedy his dying wish.

the med sure would let patrick temporarily fill his seat. republicans in the state senate were able to prevent debate on the matter until at least next joins with prominent conservatives in reaching out to so-called values voters at their conference here in washington today. carrie prejean took part in the event and talked about the event that turned her into a political figure when she was asked whether same sex marriage should be legalized. >> so there i was about to answer this question and the moment the judge asked it, i tried to stand there and look pretty, but in my head i could not believe that they were asking that question at miss usa. i could not believe it.

i thought it was extremely inappropriate for that venue. any other venue it would have been all right. i had no question about it. but at that venue i thought it was extremely inappropriate. we see all the time miss congeniality. what do they want to hear? world peace. as soon as a woman doesn't give the world peace answer, why is all of a sudden she all over national news and, you know, it's this huge, huge controversy all because i said a marriage is between a man and a woman? are you serious? it doesn't make any sense to me, a 22-year-old college student. as i began to answer the question, in my head i was thinking, god, why is this question being asked? but you know what? i'm going to deal with this question. i'm going to answer it to the best of my ability, stay true to who i am, what i believe, and

the way thai wt i was raised an that's it. >> remember for the latest political news any time check out cnn politics.com. don't forget i'm now on twitter. go to twitter.com/wolf blitzer cnn all one word. read my tweets. coming up, a rabbi teaching antiterror tactics. >> a lot of nicknames. raabi rambo, the god squad. i don't know. i don't know where people come up with these things. >> he says the terror threat to synagogues is absolutely no joke and he's teaching other rabbis and other people how to defend themselves.

how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies. health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. million dollars a year. deny payment for 1 out of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story. we want good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option. now your card comes with a way to plan

for what matters to you. introducing blueprint. blueprint is free and only for chase customers. it lets you choose what purchases you want to pay in full to avoid interest...with full pay. and those you split... you decide how to pay over time. if having a plan matters. chase what matters. create your own blueprint at chase.com/blueprint.

here is a look at hot shots. a farmer sprayed milk on to a field in protest of low milk prices. in gantz u.s. soldier responds to shots fired at a combat out post. in india women shop for religious items at a road side shop. in spain cyclists ride past a castle during a race. hot shots. pictures worth a thousand words. the fear of a terror attack has one rabbi not just urging preparedness but also teaching it. let's go to cnn's mary snow joining us with more on the story. >> reporter: wolf, he's been dubbed by some as the rambo

raabi, a new york rabbi who teaches an antiterror court has seen interest pick up leading into the jewish holidays. >> fire, go! get everyone down! bang, bang, bang. take them down. take them down. shoot, shoot. go after him. >> meet rabbi gary, a former new york city cop and black belt in martial arts. he invited us to the synagogue to show us a demonstration of what he teaches in a security course. it's one that brings a bit of showmanship. >> okay, okay, okay. >> reporter: and here he even showed us how he turns a prayer shawl into a weapon if need be. he's going to start screaming. he starts screaming, screaming, and here. i take him down with this. see i turn him over and i have

him here. you okay? okay. and there he's down. >> reporter: the lighter side of this? >> sure. >> reporter: you've heard nicknames. >> a lot of nicknames. rambo, rabbi rambo, the god squad. i don't know. i don't know where people think of these things. >> reporter: ribbing and action moves aside he's been sounding a warning about jewish synagogues becoming terror targets. he says people didn't take him too seriously until two new york synagogues were named in a suspected terrorist plot last spring. tell me of the reaction you got after the riverdale plot in the spring. >> my phone hasn't stopped ringing. >> reporter: then there was the gunman who walked into washington's holocaust museum in june and killed a security guard. he says most synagogues haven't done enough to beef up security beyond having guards outside or at the door. >> they put police officers or security in a cosmetic situation. so people feel protected but the reality is a terrorist can walk

in here and say have a happy and peaceful sabbath and start shooting the place. ready? i go first. >> reporter: the controversial part of the course? he advocates training people to carry licensed guns into synagogues. that's drawn critics. >> basically people feel uncomfortable with the notion of people having guns in a synagogue or church. but the reality is they say it's not biblical, not religious. quite contrary, of course it is. anything to save life or limb. >> reporter: while some synagogues have shunned him, ely's temple decided to give the course a closer look. how do you feel about bringing a gun into a synagogue? >> well, they do it in israel all the time and, unfortunately, in this day and age it's part and parcel of the landscape. >> reporter: it's that changing landscape that has some synagogues considering bringing some of those rambo tactics into their house of worship. >> why should we have to pray in fear? you can't be spiritual if you're dead. >> reporter: wolf, he admits that he gets a lot of attention for his action movie type moves,

he's dead serious about the need for his program. >> what a story. thanks very much for bringing it to us. that's all of our viewers i assume by now know i'm on twitter but now comes something else. it's called twitala a parody specifically geared toward jewish mothers and their sons. explain what twitala is. >> actually calling you a jewish mother might take hours. with twitala, you can update her in an instant. >> twitter for your jewish mother. every time you want to update your jewish mother, go to twitteleh.com and answer these three questions. where are you? what have you eaten? are you wearing a sweater? >> reporter: this parody video on youtube was made by two old college buddies, matt johnson and reg tigerman and tigerman's own jewish mother who you can see from this video here was a